Chapter 125
Chapter 125
AARON
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For a long, endless second, all I could do was stare at that crude wooden box buried beneath six feet of hell, my breath a sharp rasp in my throat. My heart was a drumbeat of terror, pounding so loud it drowned out every other sound in the forest.
Colton’s hand brushed away the last of the dirt, revealing more of the casket’s surface, and something inside me cracked wide open.
Because this? This was the moment I’d been living and dying for over the last sixty-two days. And it could go either way. My wife could be inside, alive but broken…. or she could be gone.
My fingers trembled as they hovered over the rough wood. For the first time in my life, I hesitated not out of fear for myself, but out of fear of what I might see.
Colton glanced at me, his jaw tight. “Aaron p>
I swallowed hard, my voice coming out as a hoarse whisper. “Help me open it p>
Together, we clawed at the edges, prying the nailed lid loose, every second stretching into eternity. My hands were slick with dirt and sweat, my breath sharp and ragged, every nerve in my body screaming at me to hurry.
The lid gave way with a groan of splintering wood.
And there she was.
Venus.
My wife. My world. My goddamn heartbeat.
She was lying there, pale as death, her lashes dark against her cheeks, her hair tangled and matted. Dirt clung to her skin, and for one horrific, gut-wrenching moment, I thought I was too late.
“No.” My voice shattered, raw and vicious. “No, no, no, baby, don’t do this to me p>
I dropped to my knees beside the casket, my hands shaking as I reached for her, my chest heaving like I couldn’t drag enough air into my lungs. My fingers brushed her cheek, ice cold but soft, and panic roared through me like wildfire.
I pressed my ear to her chest, desperate, begging the universe for something-anything.
And then I felt it.
Faint. So faint I almost thought I imagined it.
But it was there.
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Chapter 125
A pulse.
A fragile, flickering rhythm beneath my hand.
“She’s alive,” I choked out, my voice breaking on the words. “She’s alive p>
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Relief crashed over me like a tidal wave, brutal and overwhelming, but it was laced with white-hot fury. Fury at Gerald for doing this. For putting her here. For thinking he could bury my wife alive and get away with it.
I was going to make him bleed for this.
Colton exhaled sharply, tension bleeding from his shoulders, but his voice stayed focused. “We need to get her out of here. Now p>
I didn’t wait. I didn’t think. I reached down and lifted her out of that makeshift coffin, cradling her against my chest like she was made of glass. She was so light. Too light. My strong, stubborn, beautiful wife felt like a whisper in my arms, and I hated that. I hated every second she spent in this hell because I hadn’t gotten to her sooner.
Her head lolled against my shoulder, and I pressed my lips to her hair, breathing her in. She still smelled like her. Beneath the dirt and fear, beneath the scent of the forest and whatever nightmare Gerald had put her through, there was still her. My Venus.
“I’ve got you, baby,” I murmured fiercely, my voice a promise carved in stone. “I’ve got you, and I’m never letting you go again p>
Connor’s voice cracked through the trees, sharp and urgent. “Aaron p>
“Here!” Colton shouted back.
Moments later, Connor burst into the clearing, his eyes scanning, landing on us and widening when he saw what I was holding. “Oh my God p>
“She’s alive,” I said again, the words half a snarl, half a prayer, as if saying it could make it truer, stronger,
permanent.
Connor didn’t waste time asking questions. He tore off his jacket and dropped it on the ground, motioning for me to lay her on it so we could check her properly. But my arms locked tighter around her instinctively, possessive and unwilling to let go.
Connor crouched beside me instead, his medic instincts kicking in. He checked her breathing, her pulse, his face grim but focused. “She’s weak, dehydrated, oxygen-starved… but she’s fighting.” He looked at me, jaw tight. “We need to get her out now p>
I nodded, already on my feet, Venus secured in my arms. I didn’t care that my muscles screamed from digging, or that my hands were torn and bleeding. The only thing that mattered was that I could feel the faint rise and fall of her chest against me.
We started moving fast, Colton covering our backs, Connor leading us toward the extraction point where the rest of the team was converging. My earpiece crackled with updates from Rick-search grids closing in, no sign of Gerald yet.
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Chapter 125
Good. I prayed they didn’t find him alive. Because if they did, he was mine.
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As we weaved through the forest, Venus stirred faintly in my arms, a soft sound escaping her lips. My heart leapt to my throat, and I bent my head, desperate to hear her.
“Aaron…” It was a whisper, raw and broken, but it was my name.
“I’m here, baby.” My voice was rough, barely holding it together. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now p>
Her brows furrowed slightly, as if trying to wake, but her strength failed and she sagged against me again. I kissed her temple, clinging to that tiny flicker of consciousness like it was the only light left in the world.
We broke through the trees into the clearing where the convoy waited, vehicles ready, medics on standby. As soon as they saw us, people rushed forward, but I snarled, keeping them back until Connor took the lead, directing them to give us space.
I laid Venus gently on the stretcher they brought, my hands refusing to leave hers even as the medics swarmed around, checking vitals, starting an IV, covering her in thermal blankets.
She looked so fragile lying there, like a ghost of the woman who used to stand toe-to-toe with me, chin lifted in defiance, fire in her eyes. Seeing her like this; broken but breathing, carved me open and filled me with a rage so pure it felt like poison in my veins.
I wasn’t just going to kill Gerald Marlowe. I was going to unmake him.
When the medics had her stabilized enough for transport, I climbed into the vehicle beside her, refusing to let
go of her hand for even a second. My thumb brushed over her knuckles, dirty and bruised, and I swore silently that I’d never stop holding her again.
Connor sat opposite me, watching quietly as the medics worked. He didn’t say a word, didn’t need to. We both knew what this moment was-the line between hell and something close to salvation.
As the convoy sped toward safety, I kept my eyes on Venus, memorizing every breath, every tiny movement, terrified that if I blinked, she’d disappear again.
I leaned closer, my voice low but steel-hard, a vow meant for her alone,
“You’re never leaving my arms again, baby. Not in this lifetime, not in any other. He tried to bury you, but he doesn’t understand something…” My grip tightened on her hand, my jaw clenching. “…you’re mine. And nothing in this world or the next can take you from me p>
She didn’t stir, but I swore I felt the faintest squeeze of her fingers in mine.
And in that moment, for the first time in two months, I let myself believe we’d make it out of this.
But Gerald?
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Chapter 125
Gerald was living on borrowed time.
Because the next time I saw him, I wasn’t just going to end him.
I was going to make him wish he’d never drawn breath.
AD
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20:29 Wed, Jan 14 M.
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.